Note: This article contains affiliate links (hyperlinks, widgets, or through images), which means I receive compensation if you purchase a product through them. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers. Visit my disclosure page for more information.
Pendant lights are a perfect way of adding more light to your home without using up floor space. Because of their popularity, there are all kinds of pendant lights to choose from.
A homeowner will easily get overwhelmed when trying to choose the perfect fixture for their space. In this article, we will simplify the process for you. Here are some tips to help you when choosing a pendant light.
Getting the light right
Because pendant lights come in all shapes and forms all of which can achieve distinct effects, it is always better to start by thinking of functions you are looking for in the light before you even think of the aesthetic value.
The kind of illumination you will get from the pendant will be determined by the kind of lighting you have in your room.
For instance, if your ceiling already has lots of pot lights, then you will need a small fixture. One that is more inclined towards decorating the room than providing light would be ideal.
In other words, start from the lights you already have and find a pendant light that fills those gaps.
What tasks need lighting?
Pendant lighting can be used to serve different tasks. For instance, pendant lights can be used to provide lighting for kitchen tasks like the chopping vegetables or some text lighting to help you read a cookbook.
In such a case, go for fixtures that aim the light downward and if possible, ones that have a translucent bottom because they tend to let the maximum amount of light out.
However, it is worth noting that open-bottom pendant lights could easily produce a harsh spotlight. Luckily, you can correct this by installing a low output bulb or even by installing a dimmer.
Size doesn’t influence ambient lighting
Ambient lighting refers to general lighting that is meant to illuminate the entire room as opposed to targeting a specific spot. Most people would assume that bigger pendant lights provide better ambient lighting but this is not always the case.
A large and small pendant light with a similar kind of bulb will provide the same level of brightness.
For better ambiance, consider using several pendant lights spread evenly across the room. Or, you could go for a single pendant light that has several bulbs.
Accent and decorative lighting
Accent lighting refers to fixtures that are used to make a unique design feature — like say, make a certain piece of art — stand out. If you have some beautiful artwork on your table, you’ll want to shed light on it to make it visible to your visitors, right?
You can also use the pinpoint-style lights to make polished metals and surfaces truly stand out. Apart from using the light to pinpoint a decoration, the light itself can also be the main decoration.
A good example would be using a pendant light that casts an intricate shadow on the ceiling. This is a great decor technique for houses that have high ceilings.
Do you have any pendant lights in your house?
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
Good News for Rheumatoid Arthritis Suffers
“Every day is another chance to get stronger, to eat better, to live healthier, and to be the best version of you.”
I really like pendant lighting. We need better lighting in our house. I don’t understand why the builder thought the bedrooms didn’t need overhead lights, lol.
Is it an older house?
These are great tips. We live in an older rental house and it has this type of lighting in the dining room. Happy Holidays!
I have pendant lighting in my foyer and in the kitchen. I don’t think you see it too often in the dining room
Pendant lighting, nothing wrong with it. The placement and size of the light should be considered and would look pleasing in a wall sconce. Chandeliers are included?
Personally, to me, a chandelier is something completely different than a pendant light. Pendant lights only have one shade while chandeliers have many.
I really want to do some pendant lighting in our new home. I really didn’t know where to start Thank you for sharing this great article. It was a big help
I love pendant lights especially in the kitchen above a big island.